Progressive societies outgrow institutions as children outgrow clothes.
Henry GeorgeRead
So long as all the increased wealth which modern progress brings goes but to build up great fortunes, to increase luxury and make sharper the contrast between the House of Have and the House of Want, progress is not real and cannot be permanent.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True progress should benefit all of society, not just a wealthy few.
Henry George's quote emphasizes that genuine progress in society should lead to equitable wealth distribution, reducing the gap between the rich and the poor. When advancements only serve to enrich the already wealthy, they fail to represent true societal advancement, which should uplift everyone and create a sustainable future.
Themes
ProgressWealthInequalitySocietyJustice
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about economic policies at a community meeting.
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It is not the business of government to make men virtuous or religious, or to preserve the fool from the consequences of his own folly. Government should be repressive no further than is necessary to secure liberty by protecting the equal rights of each from aggression on the part of others, and the moment governmental prohibitions extend beyond this line they are in danger of defeating the very ends they are intended to serve.
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Poorly paid labor is inefficient labor, the world over.
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The protection of the masses has in all times been the pretense of tyranny - the plea of monarchy, of aristocracy, of special privilege of every kind. The slave owners justified slavery as protecting the slaves.
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Compare society to a boat. Her progress through the water will not depend upon the exertion of her crew, but upon the exertion devoted to propelling her. This will be lessened by any expenditure of force in fighting among themselves, or in pulling in different directions.
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